The Truth About The Man Who Discovered Troy

If the field of archaeology has a whipping boy, it is Heinrich Schliemann. This late 19th century archaeologist is credited for making some incredible discoveries, including finding the reputed city of Troy, which is central in Greek mythology. However, as Britannica points out, Schliemann's destructive techniques, questionable handling of artifacts, dubious claims, and self-aggrandizing style have tarnished the reputation of the first famous archaeologist in history. Heck, Heinrich Schliemann has become such a meme of prevarication that he is frequently featured as a running joke in popular history podcasts such as "Our Fake History."

So what was the truth of the man who discovered Troy? Is he a cautionary tale for archaeologists on how not to do their jobs? Was he an unrepentant huckster who capitalized on the work of others to make fabulous discoveries? Or was he really the father of modern archaeology? Perhaps "An Archaeologist on the Schliemann Controversy" puts it best, saying "Heinrich Schliemann was a product of the nineteenth century who remains unforgotten today." Let's explore the truth of the man who discovered Troy.

There is more firm footing on what we know about Heinrich Schliemann as he entered adulthood. A brief biography, provided in "Homer and Heinrich Schliemann," reveals how he worked as a grocer, cabin boy, and even a mailman. He taught himself multiple languages including French, English, Greek, and Ancient Greek. Scholars believe he probably knew about 18 different languages. These polyglot skills landed him a job with a Dutch company to act as an agent in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was highly successful, but what really made his fortune was selling war goods to the Russian army during the Crimean War. It was during this time, in 1852, that he married his first wife. 

But Schliemann wasn't happy. "Heinrich Schliemann: the Man Behind the Masks" reports that in 1856 he wanted to give up the "lies and deception" that business calls for. He was becoming obsessed with ancient Greece. As explained in a "A Brief History of Archaeology," in 1863, at age 43, he pulled back from business to pursue his dreams. He toured the world, and in 1866 gave up business entirely to quest for the mythical city of Troy. Apparently, his wife did not share these ideals and it is speculated in "Homer and Heinrich Schliemann" that she may have mocked him publicly over his fantasies. The marriage ended in divorce, and Schliemann remarried the next year.

There has been some controversy over who really discovered Troy. "Heinrich Schliemann: the Man Behind the Masks" notes that Heinrich Schliemann was later criticized for taking too much credit for the Hissarlik theory and claiming that he was the first to excavate Troy. "Homer and Heinrich Schliemann" notes that Schliemann and Frank Calvert remained friends and collaborators despite having one brief falling out. This was caused when Schliemann began excavations at Hissarlik without permission. What differentiated Calvert and Schliemann was that Calvert was looking to collect antiquities while Schliemann was far more interested, obsessed even, with proving Troy's historicity.

As "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?" points out, neither Calvert nor Schliemann was the first to identify Hissarlik as Troy. That honor belongs to either Richard Pococke (1740) or Franz Kauffer (1793). John Brunton, a British engineer, was the first to do excavations (albeit briefly) in 1863 and 1865. Whatever the case, Calvert was important since, as told in Schliemann's own account, he owned half of the hill of Hissarlik. Therefore, the dig in part was done with Calvert's blessing. "A Brief History of Archaeology" explains how in October 1871, Schlieman set 80 excavators to work to dig into Hissarlik. A month and a half later, a 33-foot trench unearthed the ruins of a lost city. So the truth of the matter is that Schliemann is not the man who discovered Troy. Rather, he was the man who proved it really existed — well, maybe.

It should be said at the outset that Heinrich Schliemann was not a professional archaeologist. He had undertaken some training, but he was an amateur. This is reflected in his early excavations. Schliemann dug into the hill of Hissarlik with an uncommendable gusto. For example, according to "Meet Me in Atlantis" he used dynamite to dig out deep trenches in Hissarlik. Then, as reported in "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?," he used crowbars, winches, and battering rams. Britannica notes that during this reckless digging and destroying to get to Troy I (the lowest layer), he actually passed through Troy VI (the sixth layer), which later analysis showed to be the layer where the Homeric era city, from circa 1500 to 1000 B.C., was. In his haste, Schliemann was responsible for the destruction of countless antiquities.

This technique of archaeology, by destruction, is an anathema to archaeologists today, to put it mildly. The Society of American Archaeologists explains that contemporary archaeologists use far less invasive techniques including careful surveys, 3D imaging, and very cautious digging. As "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?" puts it, "He did not bring to the task much initial knowledge of the literature, or much sophistication of thought. He came into archaeology in an intuitive rush, in a mid-life crisis, and the scholarship, reasoning, and excavation technique all had to be developed later."

There is no doubt that Heinrich Schliemann's excavations were impressive and important. However, what is troubling about Schliemann is his repeated tendency to falsify his findings. These weren't even mistaken or speculative falsifications such as claiming that Priam's Treasure really belonged to Priam. As "Unearthing the Bronze Age: The Importance and Controversy of Heinrich Schliemann" points out, Schliemann even went so far as to write that his wife was present at the excavation as an archaeological expert even though she wasn't either. 

Schliemann also likely took artifacts from various periods and combined them into one set as if they were from the same time period. It seems that he was so determined to prove the historicity of Troy that either he deluded himself into believing his own claims uncritically or he just outright lied. It is hard to tell which. As a result, even during his lifetime Schliemann was accused of being a compulsive liar with experts only believing his claims when it was verified by a third party. As quoted in "Homer: A Guide for the Perplexed," some modern critics went so far as to write that Schliemann "...was ill, like an alcoholic, a child-molester or a dope-fiend."

Yet is this being too tough on Schliemann? Maybe. "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?" explains that Schliemann seemed to be obsessively motivated to prove Troy's historicity. Yet his logic of uncritically labeling his physical findings as proof is just bad archaeology.

Sadly, Heinrich Schliemann was notorious for removing antiquities. But is he entirely to blame? "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?" asserts that the answer is no. The article notes that "...he seems to have had plenty of help and encouragement from the diplomatic community — American, Italian, British, and Greek."

This was a common disease of 19th century European imperialism, which was based on the belief that such artifacts were better off in the countries of the "discoverers" rather than in the "uncivilized" places they were created in. Arguments over the ownership of artifacts such as the Elgin marbles are still a controversy today.

Also, it must be considered where Schliemann ultimately came from. He had been a career businessman who had spent millions of his own money on these excavations. Even though he was retired, he certainly remained capitalist and no doubt wanted a return on his investment.

Heinrich Schliemann exercised such self-promotional skill that it would have made showman P.T. Barnum proud. According to "The Great Archaeologists," Schliemann published accounts of his travels in the Homeric Mediterranean even before he made firm discoveries in Hissarlik. In fact, that same year, 1869, Schliemann also received an honorary doctorate from Rostock University for the work and finalized his divorce. In an example of how good Schliemann's sense of self-promotion was, he photographed his second wife Sophia dressed in Priam's Treasure.

Schliemann would boast, "I have uncovered a new world for archaeology." But it can be argued that Schliemann's gift of communication served a larger purpose. As put in "Heinrich Schliemann: Hero or Fraud?," "His lasting achievement was to open up Aegean prehistory, and to create a world wide enthusiasm for archaeology of which we are products and from which we still benefit." 

The truth about Schliemann is ultimately not black and white. He was part huckster and part groundbreaker. He was certainly an important archaeologist, but one with asterixes. But one thing everybody can agree on about Heinrich Schliemann is that he was unforgettable.